October 11

DC Volleyball 3-0 in HCAC with win over Franklin

--DEFIANCE, Ohio—The DC Yellow Jackets keep their unbeaten streak in the conference intact with a 3-1 win over Franklin College by the score 25-30, 30-28, 30-17, 30-24.

.After dropping the first set to Franklin, the Jackets regained their composure in the second. The Grizzlies led at one point 19-23, but Defiance was able to come back and tie the match at 28 on a Franklin ball handling error. The Yellow Jackets won the set on a service ace by Danielle Rego.

The third set saw both teams play a tight game from the start, as the score at one point was tied at 6. However, Defiance went on a 10-3 run before Franklin called a timeout to slow down DC's momentum. The stoppage of play had little effect on the Jackets' play, as Defiance eventually won the set by 13.

In the fourth and final set began much like the previous three; with side outs on both sides and scoring going back and forth. Defiance was eventually able to take a 12-7 lead. Franklin rallied back, but Defiance was eventually able to take a 25-21 lead, and close it out with a match-winning kill by Rego.

"This was definitely one of the best hitting matches of the season," said Head Coach David Kwan. "It was good to see some of the young players stepping up and showing a high level of maturity, especially considering the caliber of the team we were playing. Lauren Aldridge and Shannon O'Dell both stepped up greatly during pressure situations, but when it came down to it, I believe it was our veteran players like Jill Evans, Danielle Rego, and Julie Steineman that carried us. Our junior class of Nichole Billups, Diane Bruns, and Corrie Farley played a great consistent game, and looking at the team as a whole, it was the best match we've played all season. This will give us a lot of confidence going into Mount St. Joseph this weekend, and hopefully the momentum from this match will carry over to that one."

Kwan was right about the superb hitting, as the team .266 hitting percentage in the third highest this season in 21 matches. Steineman hit .423 with 16 kills, Billups with .370 with 12 kills, and Rego had team-leading 22 kills while hitting .298. Evans dished out 47 assists, while Bruns dug out 16 balls. Aldridge and O'Dell combined for eight kills and six digs.

DC will face Mount St. Joseph at Cincinatti Friday evening at 7:00 p.m.